Okeechobee Locks Shut To Retain Water From Lake Tributaries

Water managers have shut five locks along Lake Okeechobee`s north end to keep water from leaking back into feeder streams and tributaries.

While boaters are inconvenienced, the closings generally are a sign of a healthy winter water supply for the sugar industry and residents of Palm Beach and other South Florida counties.

The lake on Tuesday stood at 14.09 feet above sea level, according to the South Florida Water Management District`s operations department. The level has been fluctuating around the 14-foot mark for several weeks.

At that level, Lake Okeechobee is higher than some of the tributaries that drain into it, and will flow naturally back into the tributaries. While such a backflow does not lose water from the system, it can create problems.

``It`s more of a nuisance problem to owners of low-lying pastures,`` said Tom MacVicar, the district`s deputy director of operations.

The locks allow boat traffic to move into the lake without allowing water to flow back to the tributaries. The double-gated structures are controlled to raise or lower boats to the different water levels as they enter and leave the lake. The shallow lake sprawls across 714 square miles and five counties, including Palm Beach County.

Late winter and early spring are peak times for fishing the giant lake, and using the locks generally is considered an inconvenience, if not a nuisance, by anglers.

MacVicar said 997 boats were sent through a single lock on Saturday near the town of Okeechobee.

``You can see why we get a lot of pressure from fishermen not to close the locks,`` he said. ``That`s a very busy lock.``

The lock in question is known as S-193, which prevents water from flowing back into Taylor Creek just east of Okeechobee. Fish camps, marinas and waterfront homes are common just off the lake in the Taylor Creek area.

Farther north, in the Taylor Creek/Nubbins Slough Basin, there are about 25 dairy farms, many with low-lying pastures.

The Kissimmee River connection with the lake is not affected by the lock closings. The river continues to pour water into the lake at a rate of about 897,600 gallons a minute. That rate may increase slightly over the next week, possibly topping the 1 million gallons a minute mark. In early March, however, the flow could slow for up to two weeks, when required releases from Lake Kissimmee end as the lake levels out.

The district keeps its lock tenders on duty when the lake reaches 14 feet, although the locks are used at lower levels when a south wind pushes the lake toward the north.

A north wind on Tuesday pushed the water level higher on the south end of Lake Okeechobee. That condition will change when the normal southeasterly winds resume later this week.